Edward James Slattery | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Tulsa | |
 Slattery in 2013 | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Tulsa |
| Appointed | November 11, 1993 |
| Installed | January 6, 1994 |
| Retired | May 13, 2016 |
| Predecessor | Eusebius J. Beltran |
| Successor | David Konderla |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 26, 1966 by John Patrick Cody |
| Consecration | January 6, 1994 by Pope John Paul II,Giovanni Battista Re, andJosip Uhač |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1940-08-11)August 11, 1940 |
| Died | September 13, 2024(2024-09-13) (aged 84) Bixby, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Buried | Calvary Cemetary, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | William Edward Slattery and Winifred Margaret Brennan |
| Education | St. Mary of the Lake Seminary Loyola University Chicago |
| Motto | Tu solus sanctus (You alone are the Holy One) |
| Styles of Edward James Slattery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Edward James Slattery (August 11, 1940 – September 13, 2024) was an Americanprelate of theRoman Catholic Church who served as bishop of theDiocese of Tulsa in Oklahoma from 1993 to 2016.
The second of seven children, Edward Slattery was born on August 11, 1940, inChicago,Illinois, to William Edward and Winifred Margaret (née Brennan) Slattery; both his paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated to the United States fromIreland.[1][2]
After attending Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Grade School andArchbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, Slattery studied atSt. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, obtainingBachelor of Arts andMaster of Divinity degrees.[1]
Slattery wasordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago at St. Mary of the Lake byJohn Cardinal Cody on April 26, 1966, by ArchbishopJohn Patrick Cody.[3] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Slattery as anassociate pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Parish inSouth Holland, Illinois. During this time, he also earned aMaster's degree fromLoyola University Chicago. Slattery was appointed as vice-president of theCatholic Church Extension Society in 1971. While working at Extension, he was named associate pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Chicago in 1973.[4] Slattery became the Extension president in 1976 and was transferred to St. Rose of Lima Parish in Chicago from 1976 to 1989.[1]
On November 11, 1993,Pope John Paul II appointed Slattery as the third bishop of Tulsa. He was consecrated by John Paul II in Rome on January 6, 1994, with ArchbishopsGiovanni Re andJosip Uhac serving asco-consecrators, inSt. Peter's Basilica in Rome.[3] Slattery selected as his episcopal motto:"Tu Solus Sanctus", meaning,"You alone are the Holy One."[2]
Pope Francis accepted Slattery's letter of resignation as bishop of Tulsa on May 13, 2016, appointing FatherDavid Konderla to succeed him.[3] Slattery died inBixby, Oklahoma, on September 13, 2024, at the age of 84.[5]
During the2008 U.S. presidential election, Slattery criticized the House SpeakerNancy Pelosi and then U.S. SenatorJoe Biden, both Catholics, for their remarks onabortion rights for women on the TV programMeet the Press. Slattery described their positions as "clearly inconsistent with Catholic teaching" and "plainly false."[6]
Slattery was a conservative on question of liturgical practice. He returned to the practice of celebrating theEucharistic liturgy in his cathedral using the ancient style in which the priest and the congregation face the same direction,ad orientem. He believed this form had a number of advantages over the form of in which the priest faces the congregation.[7]
On April 24, 2010, Slattery celebrated high mass at theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., to mark the fifth anniversary ofPope Benedict XVI's papacy, wearing the rarely seencappa magna.[8]
On February 2, 2012, Slattery released a statement in response to thecontraceptive mandates issued by theUnited States Department of Health and Human Services under the 2010Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Slattery joined other bishops in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in opposing the mandate.[9]
In 2006, Slattery said that if a law was passed criminalizing the act of aidingundocumented immigrants, "then [he] will become a criminal," adding,
"When it becomes a crime to love the poor and serve their needs, then I will be the first to go to jail for this crime, and I pray that every priest and every deacon in this diocese will have the courage to walk with me into that prison."[10]
In 2007, Slattery issued a 21-pagepastoral letter in which he condemnedOklahoma House Bill 1804, a strict anti-illegal immigration law which Slattery claimed creates "an atmosphere of repression and terror."[11]
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Tulsa 1993–2016 | Succeeded by |
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